Worlds Apart
by girlwithapen22
Summary: Jack and Rose both survive the Titanic and are ready to start their new lives together. However things aren't all wonderful. Reality sets in and Jack and Rose are forced to deal with their differences. Are they really right for one another? Is their love strong enough to overcome their issues?
1. Chapter 1

_All of a sudden I was like a caged bird set free into a world full of endless colour and opportunities. Even though it was everything that I wanted, it scared me as well._

 _-Old Rose-_

It had all seemed surreal, like a bad dream. Rose was consumed by guilt that the tragedy hadn't torn her world apart, but instead had made it come together. She was free from her mother and Cal and free to start a new life with Jack. It all felt so bittersweet. There were souls who had perished on the Titanic and loved ones devastated by grief, but yet Rose felt as though she was reborn. The Titanic would always haunt her and she would forever be taunted by nightmares from that night, but she had Jack and that was all that mattered. As cruel as it sounded, she wished that her mother and Cal had perished and had given two other good and decent souls a chance to live. Cal and her mother were rotten to the core; they were selfish and greedy with no concern for anyone unless they had money and status.

Rose couldn't wait to leave all of that behind. She could start over again. She would no longer be Rose Dewitt-Bukater; she had sunk together with the Titanic. Rose tried her best to make sure that her mother and Cal wouldn't find her. She resorted to staying in her room and when she did go out, she did the best she could to keep a low profile.

Jack was still recovering in the infirmary. It had been touch and go and the doctors didn't think that he would make it, but he was responding well to medication and had regained consciousness. The doctor said he was extremely lucky and if he would have been left a minute longer in the water, he definitely would have died. Rose knew that he would make it. After all he was a survivor. She was on her way to see him now. She couldn't bear to be apart from him for more than a single minute. Visiting hours were very short; only fifteen minutes, but those fifteen minutes meant everything to her.

The doctor didn't want the patients getting too overexcited and if they were contagious they weren't allowed any visitors at all.

Jack was asleep when Rose visited the infirmary. He looked so peaceful, like an angel. She could happily sit there and watch him. Rose placed her hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Slowly he opened his sparking cornflower blue eyes.

"Rose," Jack croaked. "I'm so glad you're here. Being stuck here without you is driving me crazy."

"Oh Jack, I miss you too," Rose said, tenderly brushing a stand of hair out of his face. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she felt the touch of his hand on hers. The desire was so strong and unrelenting. If they could, right this minute she was sure they would be kissing furiously and pulling off one another's clothes. She thought back to their time in the car; his hands on hers and manically pulling one another's clothes off.

"I was so scared I was going to lose you Jack."

"I'm a survivor Rose and so are you. I knew you'd be alright. Nothing can come between us now. I think we've experienced the worst that could happen, now nothing can get in our way. I want to be with you Rose. I want us to have a life together. I want us to travel the world and then we'll settle somewhere and have lots of babies."

"Oh Jack! Everything is so perfect, it doesn't feel real. I don't deserve this, so many people lost their lives and here I am gloating about being so happy."

"Don't you dare say that Rose, you deserve the best and when I get the hell outta here, I'm going to make sure that's exactly what you get." He pulled Rose towards him and kissed her on the lips.

"Pipe down you two!" a stern looking and sounding Irish nurse barked. "This is a hospital, not a brothel!"

Both Rose and Jack burst out laughing.

"She just jealous," Jack teased.

"When does the doctor think you'll be better?"

"He says I'm making good progress, though I still need to complete my course of treatment and be kept an eye on for good measure. When we arrive in New York, I'll be transferred to another hospital, but he reckons that I'll be discharged before the end of the week. Damn I really can't wait any longer; I just want to be with you. I can understand what the doctor means about getting overexcited; just looking at you is making me excited."

"Do I really excite you so much Mr Dawson," Rose flirted.

"You have no idea how much."

"Time is up now!" the stern Irish nurse barked. "There's too much excitement going on here. Mr Dawson needs peace and quiet and plenty of rest!"

Jack and Rose tried their hardest to suppress their giggles.

"I think I should go before she gets even madder," Rose laughed.

"Rose, I love you so much. You're the best thing that's even happened to me. I know what happened is so terrible and so cruel, so many innocent people lost their lives, but I feel so lucky. I feel that fate brought us together and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that I'm not rich and I can't give you much, but I'll do my best. I swear."

"Oh Jack, you know that all I want is you. I don't want anything else."

Jack pulled her towards him and they had one last quick kiss before the nurse separated them.


	2. Chapter 2

_3 weeks later_

Every morning for the past three weeks, Rose woke up expecting everything that had happened to be a dream. When she opened her eyes and saw Jack lying next to her instead of Cal, she wanted to rejoice. She wanted to thank God every day. In the face of such a disaster, the love of her life had survived and she was free from Cal and her mother. She could lead the life that she always wanted. Her life was a blessing. She was alive, she was free and in love. She was grateful for every moment and would never take any of it for granted. Rose believe that she could never be happy, but now she finally could be.

She still had horrible nightmares about the sinking and she was plagued with guilt for surviving and feeling happy when others had lost their lives or lost their loved ones. It was so ironic that she could find happiness in the worst of scenarios. She was also terrified that all of a sudden, her new found happiness could all be taken away from her. Her therapist had told her that those feelings were normal and that luck and unhappiness can often come when we least expect it. He told Rose to focus on getting better herself after such a big shock. She still hadn't digested the massive shock of the sinking. The therapist again explained that it was all normal.

She felt so much better and unburdened whenever she spoke to her therapist. It had been all Molly's idea.

"Dr Birnbaum is the best therapist in New York! The man really knows what he's on about unlike those other quacks. You could really do with someone to talk to darling; we've all been through a huge shock," Molly had said. At first Rose had protested because he was expensive but Molly wouldn't hear of it and booked Rose a session.

Molly had been so wonderful; a true guardian angel. She asked Rose where she was staying when the Carpathia docked and when Rose replied, the temporary shelter for survivors, Molly wouldn't hear of it.

"I can't have ya both staying there. I'm not letting ya stay in some freezing rat infested dump. You'll both stay with me. Friends help one another out."

"Molly it's very kind of you, but it's too much. Jack and I will look for somewhere. Apparently there are some cheap apartments. The survivors allowance should cover the first month and Jack and I will get jobs."

"I've heard that some of those apartments are filthy, not even fit for a rat. You both need rest and warmth, especially after what you've been through. I'm gonna make sure that you're both taken good care of. I'm not taking no for an answer. If you guys want privacy, don't worry, I won't be in the way. You'll have your own suite and it'll be like I'm not there. I wasn't born yesterday, I know what youngster get up to. Most of them try and act more moral than they are."

Molly was so unlike the other first class women like her mother, who were prude and close-minded. Even if a woman having an innocent conversation, alone with a man who wasn't her husband would stir up gossip and gasps of horror.

"Some people are just so immoral; it's such peasant behaviour," Rose's mother would say.

Molly wasn't all fragile and stiff like the silent and still china doll that first-class women were expected to be. Molly had experience of the real world and knew that life wasn't all a bed of roses.

Rose loved staying with Molly; she really felt like a surrogate mother. Jack too had recovered quicker than expected, probably due to the private doctor that Molly had hired. Molly made sure that they had everything that they needed. She took Rose and Jack shopping for brand new clothes, good quality clothes not the "tatty hand me downs" donated to survivors, Molly said. She brought Rose dresses made of beautiful silk and velvet and Jack crisp real cotton shirts and suits and shoes imported from Italy. Molly's generosity had no bounds. She got her cook to prepare them three meals a day plus snacks were available whenever they wanted. They ate elaborate meals such as chicken with wine sauces, dauphinoise potatoes, roast lamb with the creamiest mashed potatoes, a selection of fine cheeses with French bread.

"Molly I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done. I just wish I could repay you somehow," Rose said.

"Don't be silly darling, you're like family now. You can both stay here as long as you like, hell you can both even live her if you like."

Rose loved the prospect of staying with Molly, but felt bad. Rose no longer had any money now that she had detached herself from her mother and Cal. It was difficult for a woman to find a job, let alone one with a reasonable salary and she definitely wasn't going to marry a rich man. Rose voiced her concern with Molly.

"I love having ya both here; I've got enough money to last a lifetime. Neither of you even have to work."

"Why are you being so kind Molly?"

"You remind me so much of me and to be honest I've never met a first-class girl with such spirit. I've always wanted a daughter and Jack is a smashing young man. I just feel so close to both of ya; you're both go genuine and have real good souls. It's hard to find good people. It can be real lonely being first class too; I feel everybody looks down on me because I wasn't born into the same club, yet ma old friends are just interested in my money."

"You know that Jack and I adore you and we don't care about the money. You're like a surrogate mother to us. We don't want to keep taking from you. Anyway it gets boring being stuck with nothing to do; having a job would give me something to do."

"Well I know this theatre which is looking for an actress to play the role of Ophelia. Why don't you audition? I heard the pay is good too."

"It sounds wonderful!" Rose was over the moon; life couldn't be better! She couldn't wait to tell Jack; she knew that he'd be supportive.

"That's great Rose, you'll be amazing! I've been looking around for work too; there's something in a car factory down town. I really feel pretty shitty staying here for free. Molly's done so much for us. The moment I get my pay check we'll put money down on a place and start paying Molly back for everything."

"Molly won't take our money; she says we can stay here for as long as we like. She says if we're to get a place, we should at least save some money for somewhere decent. She said she can even lend us some money; we'd pay her back of course."

"We can't accept that Rose. I don't want to take anymore from Molly. Anyway I won't be able to earn the kind of money to get somewhere like this. I'm not used to this kind of life Rose."

"This job in the theatre pays well and you could do your drawings for money or find work in a gallery. You could even start doing paintings and selling them. Molly can get you those paints that you say that you've always wanted."

"Rose you know I can't accept it. I want to make an honest living, not sit around like a goddamn prince. I want to earn my _own_ money. I can draw portraits on the side for money."

"We could sell the Heart of the Ocean; it must be worth thousands!"

"I don't want Cal's blood money."

"It's not like that Jack; we'd be just using it to help us get ahead."

"Rose I've managed for so long by myself, trust me I don't need anyone's money. I'd rather make it on my own, even if it means my blood, sweat and tears along the way. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth like you."

"Is that what you think of me?" Rose snapped.

"Rose, I didn't mean it like that. I was wrong to expect that you could live in my world and I can't live in your world."

"What do you mean, my world? I don't have anything anymore!"

"Molly's still giving you everything, you don't have to work for anything."

"That's not fair! I'm going to make sure I give back to Molly! I'm going to get a job as well. Molly could even get you a job."

"That's why we're different Rose. You get everything given to you."

"You're really hurting me Jack. I gave up everything for you!"

"You make it sound like it's a really big deal."

"Well maybe it was! I'm not used to living like a third-class person and you can't expect me to live in the gutter. I'm sorry if I don't want to be begging on the street and want us to have a good life! We're happy Jack, we've been so happy here."

"I'm happy too Rose; I want us to have a life together, but I want us to make it on our own without Molly's help. We can make it work; you'll have the job in the theatre and I'll have a job in the car factory and I'll do drawings to make extra. We can do this without anyone's help."


End file.
